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Kendall had said the inside of the B and B was finished and well preserved, and she’d been right. He wandered through each room before going downstairs to find the coffeepot. Instead of lingering for breakfast, he escaped to the property and found his supplies in the barn.
He’d backed his truck up beside the faded structure and immediately tackled the tangle of orders as well as the packaging from the moving company. For hours he got lost in the organization of the barn, in carving a space for himself within the dumping grounds of the catchall barn filled with extra furniture and wood.
He itched to work, but he needed a clean spot to do that. He built shelving units for his tools and the various discarded appliances that had been in the kitchen at one time or another.
Lily dropped him off a carafe of coffee and plate of sandwiches without a word. He could feel her curious gaze, but she managed not to ask questions.
He wasn’t sure if it was out of loyalty for the silence between him and Kendall or because she wasn’t sure what to make of him yet. Probably a mix of both.
By ten that night, not even his flood work lights could keep him awake. After a painfully quick shower, he vowed to fix the water heater the next morning. Again he fell into a dreamless sleep and woke at dawn to work on the barn before heading into town for a water heater.
Kendall brought him two breakfast sandwiches and a carafe of black coffee. She watched for a few minutes before heading behind the barn to the dock. Part of him wanted to follow her, to see the spot she talked about so much, and the other part of him couldn’t stand any more disappointments when it came to her.
So he stayed away.
And he worked until he didn’t have to think. Until he was able to stop wanting Kendall for a little while. He added a new smart water heater. It would increase efficiency in the house and bring down her utility bill.
Their utility bill.
He put one foot in front of the other and made a list of projects to do to increase the value of the property. Kendall left every morning at seven and returned sometimes as late as seven in the evening.
They passed each other in the hall, outside the bathroom, and occasionally in the kitchen. But they kept separate lives. Lily fed him and left him lists for when he went into town. He finalized the orders he’d created with the koa wood and began renovations on the barn. He framed out a room for himself over the workshop.
Living in the B and B and so close to Kendall messed with his brain. He hoped that if he made a completely separate spot, then he could begin to work her out of his system. Maybe the love deal had been just the hazy side of lust.
Remarkably he was able to sleep at night. He had a feeling it was because he worked until he hit a wall and had no choice but to blink out and recharge. If he hit that wall, then he didn’t dream about her. He didn’t wake up reaching for her.
If he rolled out of bed and got right to work, he didn’t even have to see her before she left in the morning. And if he didn’t see her, he didn’t wonder why she was working away from the house. And he didn’t care that she didn’t come to see him either.
As November bled into December, he got the barn converted into a true workshop. He’d built a bunk over the office and could finally get out from under the Heron’s roof and into a space of his own.
Shane headed up the side stairs to his room. It was two in the afternoon, and Lily would be watching her television shows. She was the ultimate morning person, scrubbing the house to an inch of its life so she could enjoy her soaps and talk shows in the later part of the day.
It was amazing how quickly he’d moved into a schedule without actually speaking to her. He didn’t know what the hell to say, and Lily seemed to know he needed his space. It worked for them.
He loaded up his duffel bag with his clothes and toiletries, and just as he slung it over his shoulder, Kendall filled the doorway with a stack of towels and fresh sheets.
“Oh. Sorry, I didn’t know you were in the house.”
“I was just leaving.”
She glanced at his bag, her huge dark eyes slowly surveying the room. “You’re really leaving.” There was no question, just a resigned statement.
“Just moving into the barn. I also updated the Web site with new pictures of the front of the house. I hope that means we’ll get a few requests. I want to get out of your hair.”
“You’re not in my hair.”
He shrugged. “Out of Lily’s.”
“She likes having someone to take care of.”
Shane lifted a brow. “She has you.”
“You let her mother you.”
“I do not.”
An almost Kendall smile tipped up the corner of her wide mouth. “You do. Hey, if someone else is doing the honey-do list, then I’m all for it.”
